![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Are good grades worth all the hard effort?
The drawing is of a test grade with a questioning remark, “good?”. Teachers write encouraging marks on high grades, but the question here conveys that the sacrifice of joy to get that grade might not have been worth it.
January 29, 2018
Two weeks ago, I anxiously awaited my semester one report card. Soon after the clock turned to 5 p.m., I hastily clicked on the bright blue button to download my grades.
Once the PDF opened in another tab, my eyes pored over each box of the table grid of grades, absorbed into the screen. I had done better than any report card I had in middle school; yet, for some reason, I felt hollow, empty, and definitely not as joyful as I would have been in the past.
Although I was proud of myself and my efforts, I kept on questioning myself for the next few days: Was all the hard work I put myself through worth it?
The initial happiness I felt when my hard work was rewarded with good grades eventually faded away and I was left burnt out, tired of staying up late and dedicating almost all my free time to school.
Throughout the first semester, I fully believed that since now I was in high school, everything mattered more than ever before. Without fail, I pushed myself to finish every homework assignment ahead of time and study as much as I could to cram information into my jam-packed brain.
I would criticize myself over every mistake I made on tests and every time I was distracted instead of doing homework. Constantly, I pushed myself to do better and better until I felt miserable when I could not reach my own expectations.
However, recently I promised to be more forgiving to myself. I’m human; sometimes I need a break to relax and enjoy life besides doing homework every minute. I’m okay with wasting time to play Words With Friends on Facebook in the library or watch YouTube late at night if it means I’m happier. Putting my well-being above all else has made me less stressed and more motivated to go to school.
I still strive to do my best, but I obsess less with the small details of everything. In the long run, I won’t even remember those calculation errors on my math tests or wrong conjugations on Latin grammar quizzes. I acknowledge my mistakes but remind myself that the past is behind me; all I can do is focus on the future.
